Handley Page Hampden TB Mk I

The Handley Page Hampden is a British medium bomber with a full-metal shell structure, retractable landing gear and double vertical tail. The drive was provided by two Bristol Pegasus XVII radial engines with 1000 HP each. The flight of the prototype took place in 1936, and serial production continued in 1938-1941. Hampden was created in response to a request from the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1932 for the successor of the Bolton Paul Sidestrand aircraft. In response to the bets, Handley Page developed a narrow but tall structure with great visibility from the cockpit, good handling qualities and decent performance. In 1938, the Handley Page Hampden machine began to enter the RAF bomber squadrons, and in the first months of World War II, it took part in daytime operations over Germany. However, due to the lack of armor and poor on-board armament, the Hampden suffered very large losses in these actions. As a result, their conversion began: in early 1940 into night bombers, and in 1941 into torpedo planes. However, despite the modernization by the end of 1943, all aircraft of this type were withdrawn from the line and replaced by Halifax and Beaufighters.